Page 30 of Make You Mine

Am I grateful? Absolutely.

I pour a generous amount into my loofah and shiver. From excitement. From the fear of being caught. It smells just like him as I lather myself, rubbing his scent into my skin, while the man is downstairs working out in the on-premises gym.

Lifting weights. Running. Sweat running down his defined muscles…

I’m swallowing back the whimpers fighting to slip past my lips.

Elijah goes every day for forty minutes before breakfast unless he’s working, and today, I broke down. So, while he thinks I’m sleeping, I’m taking advantage of his generosity. It’s why I didn’t change the news channel he left it on, choosing instead to indulge in the empty apartment and not risk him hearing me.

While he’s sweating and flexing and being hotter than sin, I’m taking the edge off.

It also helps to know that I’m safe here. To know that Elijah has cameras pointing at the door—the only entrance to his home—so I can give in to my shame without an audience.

There’s comfort in that, something I haven’t felt in a while. I’m all alone and not panicking. Can enjoy this one minuscule selfish act.

I know that he’s always close. Elijah has proven to me with mock drills that if the worst were to ever happen, he can reach me within minutes.

The iPhone in my hand buzzes with a text, the screen lighting up with Elijah’s name.

Start the timer now. ~ Eli

K. ~ Ava

I’m standing by the front door, the timer counting down the seconds it takes him to get to me from the amenities floor of the building. Being so high up, we’ve already run the elevator route, but today, Elijah’s taking the emergency stairs. The sparkly case in my favorite shade of purple makes me smile as much as it protects my new phone, both gifts from Elijah.

This is extra protection for the times he’s not here. Eli’s been called in to work a few times now, not for long shifts, but this way, if I need to reach him or the officers monitoring the building, I’d have a way to get help.

Because you can’t run with a house phone, and I’m thankful for his thoughtfulness.

We also know this device isn’t being tracked. No one has this number but him and his boss.

When the timer hits the three-minute mark, I begin to pace the foyer. Back and forth, I’m getting a bit anxious as we close in on the next sixty-second mark, but then he’s there. Eli’s pushing the door open and raising a brow before it times him at four minutes.

“How did I do?” He’s breathing a little harder than normal, and there’s some sweat, but nothing like I expected. If it’d been me, I’d be dying on the floor, heaving and moaning in exhaustion.

“Three minutes and fifty-six seconds.”

“I can do better than that.”

“I believe you, but how about a break? I’m a little thirsty.”How couldn’t I be?His white T-shirt clings to every muscle—his pecs, and what is a clearly defined six-pack—making my mouthdry. Even his basketball shorts are sexy. The way they hang low on his hips showcasing his muscular thighs and calves…

“What are we having?”

There’s a small tinge of huskiness to Eli’s voice and my face heats up; I quickly walk past him before he takes notice, calling his name over my shoulder. “You want water or iced tea?”

“You pick. I’ll take whatever you give.”

“He’s making this so hard on me,” I groan low, one hand on the shower wall as a shiver runs through me. The man is caring, patient, and dangerously handsome. He looks good in a suit and workout clothes, but beyond the physical, there’s the fact that I trust him.

Crazy since I barely know him, yet it doesn’t make it any less true.

It’s scary and maybe idiotic, but my heart knows he’s not here to hurt me. Elijah’s a protector; he’s a pure alpha male, which creates a different dilemma...

Every cell in my body is thrumming with need. To cum with a cry of his name on my lips.

This is so wrong. I should stop.

I know I’m pushing my luck, and getting caught is not an option.

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